The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.
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Title: Them! (1954)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| James Whitmore | ... | Sgt. Ben Peterson | |
| Edmund Gwenn | ... | Dr. Harold Medford | |
| Joan Weldon | ... | Dr. Patricia Medford | |
| James Arness | ... | Robert Graham | |
| Onslow Stevens | ... | Brig. Gen. Robert O'Brien | |
| Sean McClory | ... | Maj. Kibbee | |
| Christian Drake | ... | Trooper Ed Blackburn (as Chris Drake) | |
| Sandy Descher | ... | The Ellinson Girl | |
| Mary Alan Hokanson | ... | Mrs. Lodge (as Mary Ann Hokanson) | |
 |
Don Shelton | ... | Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards |
| Fess Parker | ... | Alan Crotty | |
| Olin Howland | ... | Jensen (as Olin Howlin) | |
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
In the New Mexico desert, Police Sgt. Ben Peterson and his partner find a child wandering in the desert and sooner they discover that giant ants are attacking the locals. FBI agent Robert Graham teams up with Ben and with the support of Dr. Harold Medford and his daughter Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford, they destroy the colony of ants in the middle of the desert. Dr. Harold Medford explains that the atomic testing in 1945 developed the dangerous mutant ants. But they also discover that two queen ants have flown away to Los Angeles and they are starting a huge colony in the underground of the city. When a mother reports that her two children are missing, the team and the army have a lead to follow. Will they arrive in time to save the children and destroy the colony? Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plot Keywords:
giant ant | new mexico | mutation | gigantic monster | post nuclear |Taglines:
An Endless Terror! A Nameless Horror! See more »Parents Guide:
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Police Sgt. Ben Peterson: Yeah! Spit's all that's holding me together right now, too.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Warner Brothers initially passed on this picture and expressed little interest. However, when Paramount offered to pick it up, Warners dropped its objection, although it eventually eliminated the 3-D and color aspects. It's hard to understand the studio's lack of faith in the picture, since The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Ray Harryhausen's first solo effort, had been one of the studio's biggest hits of the previous year. See more »Goofs
As the television broadcast begins, a large floodlight is visible in the upper frame. In all of the ensuing wider shots, the light is missing. See more »Quotes
Dr. Patricia 'Pat' Medford: [observing the tunnel walls] Look! Held together with saliva!Police Sgt. Ben Peterson: Yeah! Spit's all that's holding me together right now, too.
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Crazy Credits
Although the movie was shot in black and white, the film title at the opening credits appears blood red and blue! This was accomplished by Warner's Eastman Color process. See more »Alternate Versions
A 2-3 minute segment following the projection sequence was excised from the film in the mid-50s following a lawsuit from a real-life scientist whose name was used in the story for a fictional explanation of atomic energy effects on ants. The scene was removed from the negative and has not been restored though it has turned up in some collector's prints. See more »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
19 June 1954 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Them See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1Contribute to This Page
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Weird deaths are occurring in the New Mexico desert, it is revealed to be the work of giant mutated ants born out of the "A Bomb" tests that took place there. Trouble escalates to the big city of Los Angeles when one of the giant queen ants escapes to L.A. and starts laying eggs that could lead to the end of mankind as we know it.
This is a cautionary tale about scientific tampering fused with a Cold War theme of destroying a threat to the country. Boasting some wonderful scenes such as the first desert encounter (cloaked in a sandstorm) and the final underground battle, Them! is a truly enjoyable viewing experience. It oozes the right amount of paranoia that became ever more prominent as the nuclear age began grow. The puppetry and special effects on show is of a very high standard for the time (well done Academy Award Nominee Ralph Ayres), and the direction from Gordon Douglas is one of the better efforts in the genre.
The tight story vanquishes any gripes about the plausibility factor, while the acting is, perhaps given the type of genre piece it is, of a surprisingly good standard. With James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, and Joan Weldon giving it a bit of oopmh. It went on to become Warner Brothers highest grossing film in 1954, and it's really not hard to see why. Because this firmly stands up as one of the better films of what is sadly a much maligned genre. 8/10